1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of arch support orthosis for feet, and more particularly to a therapeutic arch brace orthosis having an adjustable arch curve and a method of treating foot disorders.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior arch support orthotics provide flexible cushioning material for support of an arch of a foot. Typical prior art insole supports have provided pliable cushion pads that can be utilized to build up the cushioning materials of a shoe insole for support of an arch. An adjustable arch support is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,985, issued to DeMarchi, which discloses a sport boot that contains a supporting structure that includes a flexible, elastically deformable element having support blades attached within the sport boot. A central support blade is adjustable laterally with an externally accessed control bolt built into the exterior base of the sport boot. The support blades are required to be installed as a single unit into a specially designed sport boot having the required externally accessed control bolt, and therefore is not transferable to other shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,153, issued to Fisher et al., discloses an insole for relieving bottom of heel pain by providing a pliable contoured insole with upwardly curved pliable arch and a depression for the heel of the foot. The arch has a non-adjustable height.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,528, issued to Skinner et al., discloses a cushion insole including a separate pliable arch support member which can be replaced as a unit with similar arch support members of various sizes to conform to the arch of the user. The arch support member can be moved forward or backwards if removed from the shoe and must be replaced as a unit when the pliable insole is removed from the shoe of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,157, issued to Boisvert, et al., discloses an adjustable shoe insole having superimposed layers of flexible pad materials such as leather and/or cork that are stacked for height adjustment of the arch support. The height of the arch area is adjusted by adding or removing multiple flexible pad materials if the insole is removed from the shoe and the foot is not contacting the insole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,329, issued to Herbig, discloses an adjustable arch support having a stiff, formed arch support and a metal adjusting lever that is adjustable horizontally with an external adjusting bolt. The arch support and adjusting lever are only moved as a connected unit and the longitudinal curvature of the arch curve is not altered during horizontal movement of the adjusting lever. The arch support must be utilized in a specially designed shoe as a unit and requires a hollow area in the shoe insole and sole to accommodate the external adjusting bolt which is turned by an external adjusting tool.
The prior arch supports only provide arch adjustments that are generally lateral movements of stackable members or lateral movements of support members controlled by adjusting bolts that are external to the shoe and that require significant modifications to enclosing shoes or sports boots. Therefore, there is a need for an improved adjustable arch support brace providing therapeutic support of the longitudinal arch of a foot, with the medial longitudinal arch curve of the arch support brace being intrinsically self-adjusting in height during each weighted and unweighted repetitive cycle of walking and/or running. There is an additional need for providing a method of treatment of foot disorders using an arch brace having an adjustable medial longitudinal arch curvature that is selectively adjustable in arch curve height, and adjustable in forward slope and rear slope of the arch curve by the user of the arch support brace for treatment of heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, arch pain, tendinitis, metatarsalgia, and/or related foot disorders. An additional need is to provide an arch brace having repetitively adjusting height and slope of the medial longitudinal arch curve, with the height and slope of the arch curve being extrinsically adjustable by user manipulation of a tensioning means connecting to the underside of the arch curve for therapeutic and progressive strengthening of the arch and foot to prevent recurrence of arch and foot pain.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch brace for therapeutic support of the arch of the foot of a user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch curve brace for therapeutic support of the arch of the foot and that is removably insertable in any appropriately sized shoe, boot, sandal, and/or foot support cast of a user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arch curve brace having a repetitively adjustable arch curve height and slope.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch brace providing generally rigid support for the forefoot and heel areas of the foot, and providing adjustable anterior and posterior slopes of the arch curve of the brace.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch brace having a medial longitudinal arch curvature that adjusts in height to support the arch of the foot with each step taken by the wearer of the arch brace.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch support brace having an adjustable arch curve that is selectively adjustable in height and slope by the user without the direct supervision of a physician.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of utilizing an adjustable arch brace having an adjustable arch curve that supports the arch of the foot to prevent the arch from moving downward excessively during each stride by the user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of treatment of inflamation and pain in the feet by applying an adjustable arch brace having an adjustable arch curve that is selectively adjustable in height and slope by the user of the arch brace when worn against the foot or feet of the user.
The invention comprises an arch support brace having an adjustable arch curve, the arch support brace being positionable underneath the foot and being sized and shaped to be removably placed in a shoe or other foot enclosure worn by a user. The arch support brace includes an orthosis sized for support of the plurality of contours of the underside of the foot from about the metatarsal bones of the forefoot portion, to about the calcaneus bone of the heel portion, and includes an interior side and an outer lateral side. An arch support curve of the upper surface of the orthosis includes a medial longitudinal arch surface along the interior side, and including an anterior slope that is inclined at the leading portion of the arch curve toward the forefoot portion, a posterior slope that is inclined at the trailing portion of the arch curve toward the heel portion, and a medial slope that is inclined from the medial longitudinal arch surface toward the outer lateral side of the orthosis.
The arch support brace includes a plurality of extensions along the medial longitudinal arch surface, with the extensions being separated by a plurality of incisions along an upper surface of the arch support curve. Each incision originates along the interior side and each separately extends along each of the anterior slope, the posterior slope, and along the medial slope, therefore separating the upper surface of the arch curve into a plurality of cantilevered extensions being maintained at a neutral height along the arch support curve when in an unweighted position.
During each foot-strike, the extensions are forced downward depending on the rigidity of each extension base, the flexibility of each cantilevered extension, and the force imposed onto the arch curve, thereby collapsing the height of the arch curve until the width between each extension is diminished. Each of the extensions flexibly rebounds to an unweighted position when the force is transferred off of the arch curve. Therefore, the self-adjustable upper surface of the arch curve flexibly supports a user""s arch during unweighted use, as when sitting, and supports the user""s arch at a compressed arch curve height during each foot-strike, providing continuous and therapeutic support of the user""s arch. Therapeutic support of the user""s arch by the weighted, compressed arch curve limits the overall flattening of the user""s arch during each foot-strike while wearing the arch support brace. The arch curve posterior slope is inclined at about an angle of declination towards the heel, maintaining an angle of declination for therapeutic support of the arch along the portion that the plantar fascia is connected to the calcaneus bone.
A means of tensioning is connectable under the arch curve, and includes an adjusting means attached thereon. The tensioning means and adjusting means allows the user to adjust the tensioning means, thereby adjusting the anterior angle of the anterior slope, the posterior angle of the posterior slope, and adjusting the height of the arch curve and the tension of the extensions. The adjustable arch curve provides a user with multiple adjustments of the parameters of the arch curve for therapeutic treatment of various foot conditions. The arch support brace is sized in right and left shaped arch braces to fit underneath either the right or left arch of the user""s feet. The arch support brace is easily removable without adjusting the arch curve height for placement in any pair of foot wear.
The present invention further discloses a method of treatment of inflamation and pain in the foot by applying an arch support brace having an adjustable arch curve under the foot. The method includes selectively and periodically adjusting the height and slopes of the arch curve, by user manipulating of the tensioning and adjusting means attached under the arch curve. The method provides therapeutic support and strengthening of the user""s arches to relieve inflamation and pain associated with plantar fasciitis and/or tendinitis of related connective tissues and joints of the foot.